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Topwater to crankbaits. Casting to trolling. Learn all the good stuff about fresh & saltwater fishing tactics from the Nuts & Bolts Pro’s.

FEATURED PRO TIP

Weeds, rocks, oyster beds…all waiting to catch the tip of your hook and cause a hang-up. Rig your soft plastics weedless and stay in the strike zone.

Get Project-X Saucertails in the Nuts & Bolts Online Store.

TOPWATER PLUGS OFFSHORE

Get offshore fish in a feeding frenzy and catch ’em with topwater plugs.

Call Fish To The Boat with a Drummin’ Stick

Yep, you can bring fish to the boat with this unorthodox, but simple, tactic.

SMALL BAITS = BIG FISH

You don’t need big baits to catch big fish. Capt. Cefus provides insight on choosing the right baits.

CUT BAIT CATCHES FISH

When lures and live bait doesn’t generate a strike, try using cut bait. Feed ’em what they want!

FISHING THE X-RIG

On sunny days the gamefish will tend to go deep. On our southeastern lakes, you have to coax fish out of the treetops.

FISHING THE TREETOPS

On sunny days the gamefish will tend to go deep. On our southeastern lakes, you have to coax fish out of the treetops.

USE DOWNRIGGERS TO CATCH MONSTERS

Fish deep, and catch big fish with a downrigger. Capt. Cefus explains how.

DOWNRIGGER BASICS FOR KING MACKEREL

Big kings live deep. Use a downrigger to catch them. Capt. Cefus shows you how.

DOWNRIGGER FISHING WITH FLY RODS

One of the best rods for downriggers is a fly rod. Capt. Cefus shows you why and how to use them.

USING YOUR POWER-POLE AS A DOWNRIGGER

A simple, effective way to get baits down deeper in the water column with your Power-Pole.

USE CHUM TO RE-IGNITE THE BITE

When the bite slows down, fire it back up with chum. Capt. Cefus shows you how.

TROLLING UMBRELLA RIGS

Umbrella rigs are highly effective in fresh and saltwater. Here’s how to fish them.

RECYCLED BAIT FOR BIG CATFISH

Don’t throw away those expired live baits.

FISHING WITH PLANER BOARDS

Turn your boat into a super wide fishing machine.

RELIEF FOR YOUR HANDS

A simple solution to keep your hands from the aches of day to day wear on the water.

GET A SECOND CHANCE AT A HOOK-UP

Sometimes fish strike short, or they don’t commit to the take. Here’s a way to get a second chance at a hook-up.

USING CIRCLE HOOKS

Circle Hooks do a great job of catching fish, and they do less damage to the fish, so they can be released with less harm. Capt. Cefus explains how to use them.

CASTING INTO THE WIND THE EASY WAY

When the wind is howling, fish will still bite. Capt. Cefus has a tip to let you cast into the wind.

WHEN IT’S ROUGH OFFSHORE… GO INSHORE & GO LIGHT

When the weather is nasty offshore, stay inshore and stay safe… and catch fish!

FISHING WITH NATURAL BAITS

Natural bait is one of the most effective bait choices. When fish are ready to eat, cut bait is the right choice.

VERTICAL BAIT PRESENTATION

When fish are schooled up directly beneath the boat, fishing vertical spoons or jigs gets you hooked up.

FISHING WITH POPPING CORKS

Popping cork rigs are one of the most effective inshore tactics. Here’s how to fish ’em.

FISHING WEEDLESS SOFT PLASTICS

Make your soft plastic rigs weedless to avoid hanging up in the grass or oyster beds. Here’s how.

LURE COLOR SELECTION

So many color choices. But which one do you choose? The Pro’s give their thoughts on how to make the right choice.

CASTING BRAIDED LINE

The thin diameter of braid requires some line management skills when casting. Capt. Cefus demonstrates how to use an “Intelligent Palm” to avoid casting issues.

BULL REDS CAN’T RESIST THE TRIPLE THREAT

When big redfish are finicky about cut bait, the Project-X Triple Threat is a great way to put fish in the boat.

ANCHOR BALLS FOR TARPON FISHING

When you’re anchored up and need to chase down a big fish, an anchor ball let’s you get off the “hook” quickly, and come back to your same fishing spot afterwards.

Hook, line & sinker. Here’s a boatload of Tackle & Gear tips to get you in the Strike Zone from the Nuts & Bolts gang.

THE AWESOME PINFISH RIG

One of the best rigs for inshore fishing.

CHOOSING THE CORRECT HOOK SIZE

Small hooks can catch big fish. Match the hook size to the bait you are using.

DIY KING MACKEREL RIGS

How to build your own effective trolling rigs.

THE STINGER HOOK RIG

When fish strike short, add a stinger hook to stay connected.

THE FLUTTER HOOK RIG

One of the best rigs for inshore and freshwater fishing. Here’s how to make them and use them.

DROP SHOT RIGS

Wintertime tips for deep water bass

THE POPPING CORK RIG

A super effective rig for inshore fishing. Learn how to rig them and fish them.

THE BASICS OF RODS, REELS, & LINE

There are 1000’s of choices. Pick the right gear for the species and style of fishing with these tips from Capt. Cefus.

THE INDISPENSABLE 5-GALLON BUCKET

A must-have on every boat. It serves 1,000 purposes. Here’s a few reasons to have one on board.

CHARGE YOUR BATTERY & CATCH MORE FISH

Use your outboard to locate and catch more fish.

TROLLING MOTOR HEADING LOCK

Cool technology for your trolling motor lets you stay on course.

STOWING YOUR TROLLING MOTOR

Stow your trolling motor securely with this tip.

OXYGEN INFUSION FOR YOUR LIVEWELL

Keep your baits frisky with an O2 System.

LINE REMOVAL MADE EASY

This simple solution makes line replacement a snap.

VELCRO STRAPS FOR LINE IDENTIFICATION

Here’s an easy way to know what test line you have on your reels.

GET DOUBLE DUTY FROM BRAIDED LINE

.Braided line is expensive. Get twice the use out of it with this tip.

SABIKI RIGS, WEIGHT STORAGE & HOOK SHARPENING

Catch bait, keep your weights stowed properly, and keep your hooks sharp with this tip.

HOW & WHY TO USE WIRE LEADERS

Learn to twist wire for toothy critters.

FISHING WITH LEADCORE LINE

When fish go deep, get your lures in the strike zone with leadcore line.

CIRCLE HOOKS FOR TARPON

Circle hooks have great strength and will stay hooked up better than standard J-Hooks.

QUICK LURE CHANGE WITH POWER CLIPS

Changing lures is a snap with these ingenious, super-strong clips.

CHANGE LURES QUICK WITH POWER CLIPS

Save time re-tying lures. Quick, Strong. Great Action

THE FAST WAY TO FILET FISH

Cuda Knives are super sharp, and make fileting fish quick and easy.

KNOTS – Uni-To-Uni Knot

Join main line to leader with this easy variation of the Uni Knot.

KNOTS – LOOP KNOT

The best knot for working topwater plugs and jigs.

The Nuts & Bolts Pro’s show you how to get the most from your electronics with real-world charting and sonar tips.

USING FISH REVEAL

How to get the most out of your sonar using Fish Reveal technology.

CRACKING THE CODE ON SIDESCAN & DOWNSCAN

Sonar technology that helps you find more fish.

SCOTTY SEEKER SYSTEM

Get real-time readings of temperature at depth, current speed, thermocline info and more.

IS MY TRANSDUCER WORKING?

Capt. Cefus shows you a quick way to determine if your transducer is working correctly.

SIRIUS XM MARINE: FISH MAPPING

Find more fishy spots, and catch more fish with this great tool for your chartplotter from SiriusXM Marine.

UMBRELLA RIGS and ELECTRONICS PUT BAITS IN THE STRIKE ZONE

How to use your electronics to place your rigs in the strike zone.

WHERE’S THE THERMOCLINE?

In the summer, find the thermocline, and you’ll find the fish.

Practice safe boating skills. Learn to recognize weather patterns & how to avoid nasty weather with these insightful tips.

STAY AHEAD OF THE STORMS WITH SIRIUSXM MARINE WEATHER

Storms can build up in a hurry, so you need the right tools to let you know when it’s time to head home.

OFFSHORE WEATHER TIPS

It’s a long way home when the weather turns sour. Stay informed and get home safely with these tips.

BOATING SAFETY: EPIRB’s

If you ever have a serious problem offshore, an EPRIB is your best way to call for help.

BOATING BASICS: FILE A FLOAT PLAN

Download A Float Plan To Print And Give To A Friend.

KEEP YOUR PET SAFE ON THE WATER

Always be considerate of your four-legged friends when you head out on the water.

BOATING SAFETY: FLARES, PFD’s & FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

Checked your required safety gear lately? Capt. Cefus provides some tips on safety gear.

DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PFD’s?

Learn about the various types of life jackets and what you are required to have on your boat.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BOAT IN STORMY WEATHER

Tips on how to keep your boat safe when the weather gets nasty.

THE BOWLINE KNOT

One of the most useful knots to know for docking, anchoring and more

PUPPY PFD’s

Keep your four-legged buddy safe in the water with their own life jacket.

Explore our Boating, Maintenance & Trailering tips to help you have more fun on the water…and keep your boat, motor and trailer in tip-top condition.

BOATING BASICS: FUEL FILTER CHANGE

Change your fuel filters every 100 hours on the water. Here’s how to do it.

BOATING BASICS: OIL CHANGE

Change your own oil and save some money and time.

BOATING BASICS: LOWER UNIT GEAR LUBE CHANGE

An often over-looked maintenance task that is easy to do.

BOATING BASICS: IMPELLER CHANGE

Want to change out your own water pump. It’s not that hard. And you can save some money too.

TRAILERING TIPS: TIRE PRESSURE & WHEEL HUBS

Tony D. from Magict Tilt Trailers offers tire pressure and wheel hub grease tips.

TRAILERING TIPS: Pre-Highway Safety Check

Some good info to consider before heading on the highway with your trailer.

REUPHOLSTER WITH SILEATHER

Time to get rid of your old upholstery. Do it right with Sileather fabric. No mildew. No stains. Pure luxury.

BOATER’S BASIC TOOL KIT

You never know when you might have mechanical or electrical trouble on the water. A basic tool kit is a must-have on every boat.

TRAILERING TIPS: Winch Strap Replacement

Check your winch strap regularly. Change them out before they get compromised.